Dutchman Niki Terpstra wins Tour of Qatar

Dutch rider Niki Terpstra of the Omega Pharma team clinched overall victory on the Tour of Qatar on Friday as Frenchman Arnaud Demare won the final stage.

Demare, of the FDJ team, secured the sixth and final stage at Doha Corniche in a sprint finish after a 113.5 kilometre ride from Sealine Beach Resort.

Terpstra, who had been out in front since winning the opening stage, finished ahead of his teammate Tom Boonen, the Belgian who fell just short of winning the event for the fifth time after claiming wins on the second and fourth stages in Qatar.

On the podium, a smiling Terpstra praised Boonen and predicted their Omega Pharma team were set for a good season.

‘‘The great Tom is back,’’ said Terpstra, who won the Tour of the Netherlands in 2012.

‘‘Today it is me who won, but in the next few weeks we will make every effort to be in the best condition for the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix.’’